The Importance of The Prophet, Samuel As a Historian Of Biblical Facts

 Nadene Goldfoot                                    

Samuel lived in the the 11th Century BCE which comprises all years from 1100 BC to 1001 BC. Although many human societies were literate in this period, some of the individuals of the individuals mentioned may be apocryphal rather than historically accurate. 

He was a prophet and the last Israelite judge, a position that was a chosen one that came before Israelite kings.  

The Exodus of Moses leading the Israelites and others out of Egypt to the land of Canaan took place, experts figure, between  1579 to 1476 BCE or about 3,800 years ago. Others say it took place 480 years before the 1st Temple of Solomon.                                                   

                        Elkanah and Hannah want a child

Samuel was born to a family of the tribe of Levi.  Jacob had had 12 sons by 4 women and Levi was one.  Twelve tribes sprouted from these 12 sons of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin,and Gad, Asher, Dan and Naphtali. Samuel's family lived on Mt. Ephraim and at Ramah that was then in the land of Zuph.  

His mother, Hannah, and most likely his father, Elkanah, a Levite,  had wanted a baby so bad and had a hard time getting pregnant and bringing it to full term.  She had had such a bad experience that she more more than grateful to give birth finally and had consecrated him even before he was born to be a Nazirite; men who would serve the sanctuary at Shiloh. According to the Hebrew Bible, Shiloh was the central sanctuary of the Israelites during the pre-monarchic period, before the First Temple in Jerusalem was built. After the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was moved to Shiloh, and remained there during the period of the biblical judges.  

Elkanah's genealogy was that he was from the sons of Levi's son, Kohath: Izhar or Assir, Korah, and Elkanah was his son   (Chronicles I-6 the Levite families.   If you're looking for the source of Samuel's gene of prophecy, it must be in the tribe of Levi early on--and remember, Moses and his brother Aaron were of the tribe of Levi.  In fact, they were the Cohens who were part of the tribe of Levi.                            

      Little Samuel meeting Eli, the high Priest, a Cohen of the Tribe of Levi in Shilo.  

 Evidently she gave him up to the group as a small child, nursing and weaning him first (most likely till the age of 2)  because he received the Divine call as a child and could prophesize, later foretold the destruction of the House of ELI, a priest and a judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh, ancient Israel. When Hannah came to Shiloh to pray for a son, Eli initially accused her of drunkenness, but when she protested her innocence, Eli wished her well. Hannah's eventual child, Samuel, was raised by Eli in the tabernacle. 

When Eli's sons took what did not belong to them and took it before they should have, they were robbing God of His offering and cheating the people. Notice that because of Eli's sons' actions, the people disliked offering sacrifices (see 1 Samuel 2:17). "The sins of the attendants was very great before HaShem (G-d) for the men had disgraced HaShem's offering.)"

When Eli failed to rein in the abusive behavior of his own sons, God promised to punish his family, which resulted in the death of Eli and his sons. Later biblical passages mention the fortunes of several of Eli's descendants, and he figures prominently in Samaritan religious tradition. 

After the death of Eli and his sons, when the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines in battle at Aphek, Samuel tried to restore traditional religious worship.  

He was living in Ramah as a judge of the Israelites in the sacred towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpeh, actually getting them ready for national unity.  He organized groups of other prophets to be able to guide the people. 

              King Saul calmed by David's singing with harp.

                                Saul failed as a leader.  
 

In his senior years, he gave in to the popular demand for a king, and so selected Saul, who he later had problems with of tension and so Saul broke off the relationship.  The result was that Saul went to Bethlehem where he found, liked and anointed David as Saul's successor. David became the epitome of royal greatness.  Most of Samuel is about David:  man of faith, unselfish leader, great warrior, loyal friend, compassionate in victory, humble in defeat, and model of repentance.                           

                     King David, king of Israel from about 1000 to 960 BCE, youngest son of Jesse, born in Bethlehem;, armor bearer at 25 of King Saul, friend of his son Jonathan, husband of Saul's daughter, Michal.  Saul became overly jealous causing David to leave and find refuge with king of Gath, Achish.  David returned to Israel after Saul and 3 of his sons had been defeated and killed in battle at Mt. Gilboa.  David settled in Hebron and declared himself king of Judah, one of the original 12 tribes.  Saul's general, Abner, sided with Saul's son Eshbaal who wanted the throne,  and who he had crowned king at Mahanaim, but when the new king was murdered, all the tribes accepted David as king.  After reigning for 8 years, David captured Jerusalem, a Jebusite stronghold, and he proclaimed his capital there and so moved the Ark to this site.   

            Brave David and the Philistine giant, Goliath from Gath

He is studied in the light of the Talmudic and Rabbinic commentaries where we can begin to imagine his stature.  Even reading superficially about Bathsheba, we see David's humility and powerful conscience.  When the prophet, Nathan criticized David harshly, David did not become defensive, and didn't try to defend himself at all, even though, as the Talmud explains, he was technically in the right.  His remorse was so great that it became the textbook for repentance.  I'm sure we can all name presidents that need to learn this lesson to be forever remembered for 3,000 years!  Nathan had told David that his royal house would be perpetually established, but also prevented him from building a permanent Temple in Jerusalem.                                                 

Later, he comes to David to reprimand him for committing adultery with Bathsheba while she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, whose death the King had also arranged to hide his previous transgression .Later, he comes to David to reprimand him for committing adultery with Bathsheba while she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, whose death the King had also arranged to hide his previous transgression (2 Samuel 12:7–14).                       

      David accused of moral wrongs by prophet Nathan.  

He was a protagonist of moral values, and charged David with responsibility for the death of Uriah the Hittite.  Later, he was all for Solomon becoming king over his brothers.  Nathan even wrote a chronicle of David's reign (Chron 29:29) which was probably one of the main sources for the Book of Samuel. 

David, of the tribe of Judah, was able to consolidate the 12 competitive tribes into a single nation.  He defeated external enemies and left his successor, his son Solomon, with a united, secure and prosperous kingdom.  To the rest of us in all generations, he bequeathed legacies of pure faith, the seeds of the Messiah concept, and the Book of Psalms that he is said to have written.  Solomon was king from 961 to 920 BCE over Israel.  His son, Rehoboam, became king from 933 to 917 BCE, quite unsuccessfully.  Judah's line continued on till King Zedekiah who reigned from 597 to 586 BCE.

Judah was broken away from the body of Israel after Solomon had died, their CIVIL WAR.E  Jeroboam, the superintendent of workers for Solomon took power and was king from 933 to 912 BCE.  Their last king was Hoshea who ruled from 730 to 721 BCE when the Assyrians attacked and took the best of the population away as slaves.  All 10 tribes were taken away, leaving Judah with a few Benjamin and Simeon with Judah as they were neighbors.  

This book of Samuel marks a historic transition in Jewish history in more ways than one, because the change from judges to kings also led to a change in the role of the prophets.  The judges were said to be chosen by G0d because they were such righteous men.  There was no danger that they would defy Him or falsify His message; rare men indeed!  

The monarchy was a hereditary position, like royalty of today, and, as seen in the sad history of the Books of Kings and Chronicles and Royalty, many of the kings sinned grievously and ultimately brought the nation down.  The kings could not be the moral leaders of the nation, as the judges had been.  that role had to be assumed by prophets, and today, they no longer exist.  Evidently that gene had been used up long ago.  

Thus, after the Book of Samuel, we find the prophets assuming a new king of authority and prominence;  as the succeeding Books will show.  Samuel I and II are followed by Kings.  

 I'd say that Samuel was highly respected and his opinion ruled.  He had the Power.  

Resource:

The new Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

Tanakh, the Stone Edition on Samuel...